SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The No. 15 Fighting Irish women’s basketball team had their final preseason tuneup before getting the 2025-26 season underway next week, as they defeated Purdue Northwest by a final score of 119-54 inside Purcell Pavilion on Thursday evening.
All five Notre Dame starters finished in double figures in the victory.
Hannah Hidalgo led all scorers with 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting while adding eight rebounds, six steals and two assists. Cassandre Prosper had an ultra-efficient evening, 12-of-13 from the field for 27 points.
Vanessa de Jesus (17 points), KK Bransford (16) and Gisela Sanchez rounded out the Irish players to finish with double-digit points.
The Irish defense was swarming throughout the contest, creating 53 points off turnovers and finishing with 22 steals. Prosper led the Irish with seven steals followed by Hidalgo (6), Bransford (6) and Jordyn Smith (4).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The combination of Hidalgo and Sanchez got the Irish offense started, as the two combined for 16 of Notre Dame’s first 18 points to build an early 10-point advantage of 18-8 midway through the first quarter.
Notre Dame finished the first frame in fashion, reeling off the final 12 points of the period to push the lead to 21 points with the score 32-11 at the end of the opening 10 minutes of play. Six different Irish players scored in the first quarter, as the team finished 13-for-21 from the field.
There was no letup from the Irish in the second quarter, as the team put up another 30-point period on the offensive end, and the lead ballooned to 38 points at the half with the score 62-24.
The Irish shot an efficient 65 percent from the field in the first half (26-of-40) and dominated inside, outscoring the Pride 38-4 in the paint.
Notre Dame posted 34 points in the third quarter while limiting the Pride to just eight to make the score 96-32 through 30 minutes of play. The Irish were led by de Jesus in the frame, as the guard scored 10 points.
The Irish closed out the contest with a 23-point fourth quarter on the way to winning by a final score of 119-54.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame officially begins the 2025-26 campaign against Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 inside Purcell Pavilion. The game will air on ACCNX.